Van Persie V Arsenal – What Does it Mean for the Future?

Robin Van Persie shocked Arsenal fans all across the globe with his recent announcement. His intention to quit the club was clear, but, as may come as a surprise, this is not the reason it made such an impact.

Obviously no-one is happy with us losing our best player. In case you needed to be reminded; the Dutchman scored 30 goals in 37 Premier League games.

However there was a part of every Arsenal fan who believed this day would come. We are used to losing our best players. We are used to the tabloid doom and gloom. Ultimately, though, it makes little difference to the team. When Anelka, Overmars, Petit, Vieira, Henry, and most recently Fabregas left there were many people quick to say we’d struggle. Yet we still haven’t finished lower than 4thin Wenger’s reign and on many occasions, we have been in the title race right until the end.

Sure Van Persie saved us many times last season, but we shouldn’t be in a position where we need saving next season. The team has developed greatly since the beginning of last campaign. Add on top of this Podolski and Giroud and we could well have two players scoring between 15 and 20 goals, instead of just one scoring 30.

Van Persie’s leaving will not lower our league position, or potential to challenge for honours. The true discussion lies in whether his leaving indicates a lack of ambition from the board.

According to his statement, Robin is leaving on the basis that he does not believe the board want to win trophies. This has been echoed by Usmanov, who has criticised the board for exactly the same reasons.

The real tragedy in this piece is the way Wenger has been treated. Not by Usmanov, who has recognised his frustrations, but by Van Persie. Here is a manager who is extremely limited by the board’s ambitions. He has openly admitted that if he had the money of Chelsea he would spend it. But he doesn’t. He has to run the club so that it makes a profit.

Van Persie’s claim that he doesn’t believe Wenger is taking the club forward in the right direction is embarrassing. Here is man who is one of the most over-achieving managers in the world, taking a club who, considering its budget, should be about 6th.

When Henry and Fabregas left, the fans still held them in wide regard. We understood that Henry wanted to play for the best team in the world and that Fabregas simply wanted to go back home, also to play in the best team in the world.

Where Van Persie now stands is different. He’s criticised the club at its deepest level. It’s not just that he wants to win trophies, but that the fundamental intentions of the club are wrong. That’s going to hit any Arsenal fan hard.

Only time will tell the position he holds in our memories. Either way, the club is bigger than one person.

2 Responses to Van Persie V Arsenal – What Does it Mean for the Future?

Wengers style of development can hardly win big trophies. Most players in his team, have no big names, despite of having a lot of untested football skills. I can recall, that when Arsenal won big trophies, there were a combination of young players and experienced players. I remember in the world cup of France and then Korea, Arsenal sent many impact players there. By looking at the just ended Europian competition, Arsenal were represented by many substitutes. Regular players like RvP and Rosisky, did not shake the tournament.
Yes, there is unquestionable need for Arsenal to change and restore its faith amoung its reutenants. But the faith can not come this way, where we are continueing to loose captains year after year. I suspect that even Varminator, will go because he is going to lead the club, shine, and Barca, who already have started their uncompromising policy of taking our ripe players, will caome and take Varmerlean.
Its a high time to start building a team with those players who wants to be at the Club. Let RvP go, even Walot. But bring in new faces, who are ready to play for the Club
Let them go. Under Arsen, we will catch up, but we wont win the CUP

I prefer to look at van persie over 8 seasons rather than 2. in his first 6 season he scored 73 goals from 197 matches. in the last 2 seasons it was 59 from 81 appearances. now there is a player showing signs of raising his game as his contract runs down.

in fact if u compare rvps first 4 seasons 83 starts 43 goals with bendtners 4 seasons 79 starts 45 goals u will think was it all the fuss about?

Even last season he had a worse conversion rate than bendtner giroud podolski and vela taking 142 chances to score 30 goals in the league.